Rock Balancing

Rock balancing is an ephemeral art requiring a great deal of patience.
A slight breeze or an unsteady hand is all it takes to bring them down.
The above balance almost looks like a kanji character.

When I began rock balancing it was more like rock stacking creating piles of flattish rocks or a rock cairn.

Then I began to choose rounder rocks and aesthetic locations.

Balanced rocks will usually stay steady for several minutes unless disturbed.

Balancing rocks focusses my body and mind.

Rocks can become an extension of my hands as I feel for balance points. Rocks of different densities and unusual shapes can be very challenging to balance.

The above rock balance on the left inspired an artist to paint it.

Balancing groups of rocks introduces more complex relationships into a scene.

Repetition of design can be quite striking.

Some rocks were formed when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Others are much older and a few are younger.

This image taken with a 360 camera gives a different perspective of a group of rock balances.

Sometimes I strive to make balances look very improbable.

Other times I play with post-production edits.